'Tis the season... almost

I know, I know... It isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I'm posting something about Christmas. I was going to wait until Black Friday, but I was afraid I'd forget to do this. So, here's "Christmas is Ruined" by Anna and the Family.  It's sure to warm your heart and bring back fond holiday memories (or not):

The video is also a finalist in the Chicago Tribune's holiday song contest.  Click here to vote for it, and to view the other finalists.

Sip & Shop @ Grand, with special guests!

Grand, LUPEC, and The Boston Shaker are having October's Sip & Shop this Saturday at Grand from 2-6. LUPEC will be serving up a spooky Halloween Punch, and Grand and The Boston Shaker will offer a 10% discount on everything.

In addition to sales and spirits, two special guests will be at the Sip & Shop from 2-4. Jill DeGoff and Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff will be on hand to sign their books, Lush Life: Portraits from the Bar (Jill) and The Essential Cocktail and The Craft of the Cocktail (Dale).

Sounds like a fun time!

(Btw, tickets to LUPEC's Tiki Bash will be on sale as well, but excluded from the 10% sale. It is a fundraiser for On the Rise! after all.)

Mad Men cocktail guide

A few days ago I stumbled upon the Mad Men Cocktail Guide. It's a list of 1960's cocktails complete with recipes and pictures. Seeing that the martini is made by rinsing the glass with the vermouth, then pouring out the vermouth, I'd say the recipes are based on how the drinks were made during that era. Interestingly, though, the Manhattan on the page actually uses its share of vermouth, but still uses a very small proportion of vermouth if not a "whisper."

Caramel cocktail

My boyfriend wanted a caramel cocktail for an upcoming party we were throwing. As he put it, he wants a "sexy" drink to offer - something flashy in addition to the more traditional offerings. So I did some poking around and found the recipe for a Liquid Caramel. The recipe calls for Bailey's, coffee liqueur, butterscotch schnapps, and milk. Since out of those ingredients I only had Kahlua, I had to improvise.

Wary of butterscotch schnapps - it seems like something that could be great or horribly, horibly awful - I decided to try making homemade caramel.

After letting the caramel cool for a bit, I improvised my cocktail:

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur

1 oz vodka (Snow Queen, from Kazakhstan - it's organic)

1 oz light cream

1 oz caramel

It was quite tasty, but I'm not sure I could taste the caramel much. My boyfriend liked it, so that's a plus. Maybe if I made the cocktail after the caramel had spent the night in the refrigerator I'd have a stronger caramel flavor. After all, the caramel sauce was still very warm when I made the drink. Or maybe I'm just too accustomed to store bought caramel sauce that's full of corn syrup, corn starch, and sometimes butter and cream.

Update 10/18/09: My boyfriend thought the drink was too sweet, and with Kahlua, chocolate liqueur, and caramel that isn't much of a surprise. To cut down the sweetness I substituted the Kahlua with 1 ounce of coffee. That gave the drink a stronger coffee taste, and I think it played off the caramel well, too. We decided to call the cocktail the Caramel Sexy. (And the guests enjoyed the drink!)

Caramel sauce from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook

I decided to try making homemade caramel sauce using the recipe from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. It takes a while, but is very simple. Heat one cup of white sugar over low heat in a thick bottomed pan (so you don't burn the sugar). Swirl the sugar around the pot until it melts. It takes a while before it melts, but once it starts, it can go fairly quickly. I discovered that in the begin it's best to let the pot sit for a bit with occasional shakes to move the sugar around. Once the sugar has melted, pour in one cup of boiling water. Warning: Boiling sugar is MUCH hotter than boiling water. When you pour the water in, the mixture will foam and bubble a lot. Continue to stir over low for 3-4 minutes, or until all the sugar has melted again (the water will cool the sugar and you'll have lumps for a bit).

After it had cooled down enough to taste without scorching my tongue, I tried some. It tasted more like simple syrup than the thick, heavy caramel sauce you get on ice cream or your calorie-laden Starbuck's drink. This might be because the sauce needs to cool and thicken some more, or my tastebuds have been corrupted by the commercially made caramel sauces that are full of corn syrup, cornstarch, and preservatives. It also might be because unlike other recipes, this one doesn't include cream or butter. But, without cream or butter, this sauce will last indefinitely.

A gin Alexander? Really?

Last night I went to Drink and asked for an Alexander, which is usually brandy, creme de cacao, cream, and nutmeg. The bartender suggested that instead of brandy I try it with gin. She said that you'd think gin and chocolate don't go together, but they kinda do. Being game, I said, "Sure! Make me one!"

And... She was right!! Gin and chocolate do go together! I think the bite from the gin lightens the drink. Further, if I let the drink rest on my tongue I could get a slight cherry taste with the chocolate. But, maybe that's just me.

The Boston Shaker moves to Davis!

The Boston Shaker is moving to Davis Square! They are shooting for a November opening. This is great news. For starters, the new location is very T friendly. I can easily get to its current location in Union Square by car, but if I didn't have a car it'd be a different story. Plus, more space for more product! I'm especially excited about this. While I have a good set of cocktail glasses I could definitely use more. And along with more cocktail glasses there'll be more bitters, cocktail gear, books, etc.

So I've made a mental note to check out 69 Holland St in Somerville in November. Perhaps for some Christmas shopping...

H-Mart re-cap

Last Tuesday night I went to H-Mart, the long awaited Korean supermarket in Burlington. If you took all the inventory in every single Chinatown grocery market, turned 90% of the inventory into Korean items, then filled a Super Stop & Shop with it, and had the people from Target do the merchandising you'd have H-Mart.

I got there at 8, so I only had an hour before the store closed. The food court was still busy so I skipped that. Even though there weren't lines at most places, all the seats were taken. The rest of the store was still busy, too. It wasn't packed, and I didn't have to wait long to checkout an hour later, but there was a good number of people there for that time of night. I'd say the parking was 90% full. Because this is the only H-Mart in New England it's hard to tell if it's this busy because it just opened, or if it will continue to be this busy because it's now the go-to place for Korean food, as well as East Asian food staples in general.

H-Mart has an entire kimchi section - I had no idea there was such a thing as chive kimchi. They had jars of cucumber kimchi, but the eat by date was 10/18, and I doubt I could eat that much cucumber kimchi by then, but it seems weird that kimchi would go bad... Isn't that the point of kimchi? Anyway, next to the kimchi were packages of fresh made panchan (Korean side dishes). I bought a package of tasty julienned dried squid - it doesn't look like squid so I'm be able to eat it. I think they also had sprouts and black beans and other stuff, but I didn't see the soy fish cake stuff I like a lot, or the stir fried soy beans. I'll have to ask someone what the Korean names are for those, and how to make them in case H-Mart doesn't carry them pre-made.

In the noodle section I saw bags of what seemed to be all different brands of chapchae noodles, as well as buckwheat noodles, and Vietnamese vermicelli. In a refrigerated case across from the meat area there were refrigerated noodles, fish cakes, and bean curd. I bought a bag of the noodles - it's like fresh pasta with sauce. You cook the noodles for a short time, and then mix with the sauce. I haven't tried it yet.

The produce section looked really gorgeous, but I didn't see anything exotic. I'm sure there were Asian pears around, and probably some Asian fruit, I just didn't see them, but I also didn't spend a lot of time there. They also had regular American food like apples and zucchini.

The meat and fish section was really impressive, I think mostly because I saw cuts of meat that you don't normally see in Stop & Shop. I saw tongue, but sliced up so it doesn't look like tongue - it looks like regular meat. They also had thin sliced rib eye and other types of meat for stir frying or hot pot. I was excited to see marinated chicken, pork, and rib eye for making bulgogi without making the marinade yourself. I bought nearly 2 pounds of marinated rib eye strips and tried some last night. It was good, but not all the pieces were cut into strips, so it seemed a little tough. That or I cooked it too long. If you want to save money you can just by rib eye cut into strips and make your own marinade. I don't know what the price difference is, but the marinated rib eye was around $2-3/pound. If, on the other hand, you want to be ridiculously extravagant, you can also spend $15-17/pound and buy strips of short rib meat that's been cut from the bone and rolled into neat little pinwheels... Kalbi, but without the problem of holding slippery bones with chopsticks! Although then it wouldn't be cooked on the bone, so it might not be as tasty...

And they had lots of fish. It looked beautiful. Clams, mussels, whole fish, etc. I didn't look at it, but I may have seen sushi grade tuna! Speaking of fish, I did see somewhere in the store, maybe near the kimchi, jars of cooked octopus.

As you might expect, they had tons of different soy sauces and sesame oils. I had no idea there was such a thing as dark/black sesame oil... And I think I saw rice syrup, too.

One downside, and this really isn't H-Mart's fault, is that a lot of the processed foods I looked at - ramen soup, fish cake tubes - has MSG in it.

There's also regular, American food there, too. I didn't look too closely, but I did see Welch's grape jelly, regular cereal, etc. So you can do your regular grocery shopping along with getting Asian stuff, which is a nice time and gas saver.

The store, like a Super Stop & Shop, has a house wares section. Unlike Stop & Shop, H-Mart has more rice cookers than I've ever seen before, at least in the US, as well as serving bowls and lots of other cookware.

In addition to groceries and a food court, H-Mart has smaller stores within, such as a Hello Kitty shop, a small jewelry area and a home furnishings area where you can buy Asian chests and kimchi refrigerators (in-count half fridges - like European style refrigerators; in Korea they're marketed for storing your kimchi away from your regular food) and a flat panel TV (I only saw one model).

It's on the Middlesex Turnpike near the Burlington Mall. H-Mart is in the same shopping center as Jo-Ann Fabrics and Market Basket. Fortunately, there's a traffic light so you're not stuck in the chicken lane waiting to turn left. The store itself is behind the main part of the shopping area, but they have signs pointing you to it. Be careful, though, but the mini-access roads are a little weird and people unfamiliar with the parking lot might cut you off. I nearly got sideswiped when I was leaving - I think the other driver didn't realize they were supposed to yield. The store is in an old La-Z-Boy building, and it feels really huge - bigger than a Super Stop & Shop, but I can't be certain if it really is bigger or just feels bigger.

Korean recipe blog

Plusonecook is on a mission to teach us all how to make Korean food using every day ingredients. Her blog is at http://plusonecook.wordpress.com. The recipes look very easy, and very, very tasty! And now that H-Mart is open, I should be able to make more Korean dishes.

Which reminds me, I plan on posting a review of H-Mart in the near future. I went there the other night and spent far too little time there...

H-Mart opens today!!!

H-Mart, a Korean grocery chain, is opening a store in Burlington this weekend. I plan on going sometime in the next few weeks. I am deliberately avoiding opening weekend because I expect it will be a mob scene. The Boston Globe's article notes that the store has an entire aisle dedicated to noodles. From the video that accompanies the article it also appears that H-Mart carries thinly sliced meat suitable for hot pot. I am hoping H-Mart carries cucumber kimchi, as well as the right cut of beef for bulgolgi - I always end up buying meat that's too lean and it doesn't taste right.

There also might be a food court in the store, but the Globe didn't mention it.

The Old Fashioned, as seen on Mad Men

Sunday's episode of Mad Men had a scene in which the main character, Don Draper, makes an Old Fashioned. The recipe I have to make an Old Fashioned uses water, sugar, bitters, and whiskey. You're supposed to muddle the bitters, water, and sugar in a glass until the sugar has dissolved. Then you add a large ice cube followed by whiskey. Stir and serve with a straw.

Don Draper made his Old Fashioned a little differently, but I am sure it was the way they were made in the late 50's early 60's. He tossed a sugar cube in the glass, added a dash or two (or three - the bf thought Draper added a lot of bitters). In a separate mixing glass Draper added lots of ice, followed by rye whiskey (it looked he used Old Overholt), and soda. He then did a quick muddle of the sugar and bitters in the glass. This was followed by a quick stir of the whiskey, ice, and soda* in the mixing glass. He then poured the whiskey mix into the glass.

One thing that caught my eye was the muddling. I doubt the sugar was dissolved when he finished. I'm not sure if his quick muddle followed the method use in the 60's, or if it was a case of TV expediency. It wouldn't be good TV to have him muddling for several minutes, waiting for the sugar to dissolve. Or, perhaps the sugar was dissolved because it sat in bitters while he was pouring the whiskey and soda in the mixing glass. Or maybe Draper was just impatient to get his drink... Or maybe I am just an inefficient muddler ;)

I've made Old Fashioneds at home using the first method, and they taste great. They have a nice smooth, rich taste with just enough sweetness to make me happy. I'm not a fan of soda, but now I'm tempted buy a small bottle and try an old fashioned Don Draper's way.

*I suppose it could have been tonic, but I have a feeling it's soda. I vaguely remember an Old Fashioned recipe that used soda water.

Bertolli Bags

Recently I've been introduced to Bertolli Bags. These are frozen pasta meals that come packaged in, you guessed, bags. Most of them are designed to be cooked either in a microwave or a skillet. Like Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, most of the ingredients are normal, real food. The taste is pretty good, and better than most processed foods. Also, even if you prepare them on the stovetop the cooking time is amazingly quick - around 8-15 minutes.

This week I bought a Bertolli Bag for the oven. It was stuffed shells with shrimp. I haven't tried it yet, but I am looking forward to it. As you might guess, because it's meant to be baked the cooking time is a bit longer, perhaps 20 minutes.

The meals are meant to serve two, and they work well for me and my boyfriend. However, neither of us are big eaters, and the portions are just right for us. If you like to eat a lot, you may wish to have a side dish.

Silent Order

2 oz green Chartreuse

1 oz lime juice

0.5 oz water

basil leaves

A few weeks ago a few of us tried the Silent Order, a cocktail made with green Chartreuse and basil leaves. It was an interesting departure from the usual cocktails. Instead of the standard sweet/sour balance with a spirit (lime/lemon juice + sugar/liqueur + spirit) , the Silent Order offered us a peppery, herbal flavor. I didn't notice the peppery taste until the end. Perhaps the basil oil sinks to the bottom?

I used fresh basil leaves, two per drink. Over each glass I tore one leaf, and then rubbed the rim with one of the torn pieces before dropping them into the glass. Next, I pored the cocktail into the glass, and then I tore the second leaf over the drink before adding it. Another way to use the basil leaves would be to finely chop some and shake with the drink, then garnish using whole basil leaves.

And so it begins...

The Boston Globe is going to start charging to read its content on boston.com.

I suspect this is the beginning of newspapers charging readers to web access. Otherwise, they're going to fold. It'll be interesting what the Globe charges. I'd be willing to pay a small amount.

I also read a suggestion a while back that newspapers should use an iTunes model - a small fee/article. I think that could work financially. After all, I don't read the entire boston.com site, and if I subscribed to the paper edition I certainly wouldn't be reading the entire paper - which is why I don't subscribe to the paper edition. Maybe if I was retired... But, from a public good standpoint, a fee/article model would increase the trend of printing news that people are interested in as opposed to news that's important - I could see entertainment drivel on celebrity gossip getting more emphasis than real news.

Another thought I had was a cable TV model. With Kindle becoming more popular, readers could subscribe to an internet news delivery service that might provide them with access to different papers, e.g., NY Times, WSJ, Boston Globe, etc. And, to be even more hopeful, the service could be more a la carte than the cable TV. I could get my local papers - The Globe, The Herald, The Boston Phoenix, and any other local newspaper (e.g., The Brookline Tab) as the basic service - and choose X number of extra publications.

Heroes @ TT's in August

If you haven't heard about it, Heroes is an 80's alternative music night at TT the Bear's in Central Square. I've been before and it's a fun night - laid back and great music. TT's isn't fancy by any means - it's looking a little worn in places, but in a good way. It reminds me of some of the places I went to in college, which sadly wasn't near any place as remotely cool as Central Square.

This month Heroes will be on the 8th, 15th, and 22nd.


So, if you're into 80's new wave, punk, goth, and techno, you might want to check it out!